Make A Joyful Noise!

I spend most Sunday evenings at my church co-teaching the kindergarten and first-graders whose parents are either at our 5:00 service or in care groups. My wonderful, tireless hubby almost always works the dinner hour out at his job on Sundays, and after months of being alone on my last weekend night I decided that being productive and useful was probably a better use of my time. 🙂 My friend Elaina and I switch off teaching the lessons and providing crafts for the 5-10 rambunctious and adorable kids who fill our little classroom each week. And tonight I was reminded of the beauty and simplicity of childlike wonder and the fullness of joy.

Since this was the last Sunday before Christmas, all readers can guess fairly quickly what our story time was like. The 7 children all but quoted the history of the holiday to us and were very pleased with how well they knew their Bibles. After the lesson (which Elaina taught beautifully), we practiced our memory verse of Psalm 92:1: “It is good to praise the LORD and make music to your name, O Most High.” We talked about how the lifting up of our voices is a special and meaningful way to worship the God of the universe. And then we put our lesson into action!

Each of the kids ran to grab a musical instrument from our box of assorted noise-makers: Tambourines, triangles, maracas, clappers, cymbals and even a drum were quickly laid in front of our little class. Elaina brought out some posters she’d made with Christmas carols written on them, and soon our room was filled with banging, clanging and shaking instruments.

Throughout our singing of, “Away In a Manger,” “Silent Night,” and “Joy to the World,” I couldn’t stop smiling at the precious little ones surrounding me. Lindsay rapped sharply on her drum, Abby watched my every move and tried to stay in rhythm (we both played maracas), Carter banged on some sort of item that I’m not actually sure was technically a musical instrument, but it made some sort of noise anyway. And all along their little voices lifted sweetly to the skies as they grinned and danced in circles in celebration of the coming of their King. It was one of the most precious moments I’ve ever witnessed. Their enthusiasm and joy poured purely from their lips in an array of off-key tunes and mixed-up words, and while none of us would have won any awards for technique or melody, I couldn’t help thinking that at that very moment, Christ was standing at the right hand of His Father, beaming with pleasure and saying, “Now THAT is a joyful noise!”

I am so blessed to a part of the lives of these amazing little ones. Thank you, Grace Point kids, for teaching me the true sound of pure and passionate JOY!!

Read Full Post »

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year…

I love Christmas. Well, that’s an understatement. I adore Christmas. If you’re a friend of mine, you know this endearing (albeit a little crazy) aspect of my personality. Christmas is not only my favorite time of year, but it influences aspects of my life that most people would never think about. For example…

1. My favorite color is red. Why? Because it’s the color of Christmas. That’s it.

2. My favorite movie is, “It’s A Wonderful Life.” On top of that, my favorite song (not just Christmas carol…favorite song) is, “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.” Simply because it’s at the end of “It’s A Wonderful Life” and fills me with that cozy, Christmasy feeling.

3. I own more CDs of Christmas carols than any other genre of music.

4. When I was 10, I cried when I smelled the needles of a pine tree because it reminded me of Christmas and it was only May. I had over half a year to wait until it was actually the holiday season.

5. And most condemning, I painted my living room green so that when I put my Christmas decorations out they wouldn’t clash with the room. Seriously.

All that to say, I take my Christmas season seriously! And so, though this has nothing to do with the concept of an Iron Butterfly, this post is dedicated to all of my favorite Christmas “things.” Here are just a few traditions I enjoy; some I look forward to each year, and others are less common. In either case, I encourage you to try them out yourself!

Decorating for Christmas. It is a tradition in our family to decorate for the Christmas season on the day after Thanksgiving. Loving Christmas as I do, I sometimes fudge this rule and decorate the weekend before if Thanksgiving happens to fall late in the month and jip me out of a week of celebrating (I refuse to shorten the season just because of a calendar). Rick and I normally pop on some of our favorite Christmas films (“The Polar Express,” “White Christmas,” and “The Santa Clause,” to name a few), and go to town. By the time we’re finished, our apartment looks like the North Pole. I think we have more decorations in our little 1000 square foot bungalow than most people do in full-size houses.

Reading, “A Christmas Carol.” If you’re a fan of Charles Dickens, you’ve probably picked up this novella. However reading it at Christmastime makes the tale just a little more special. I don’t read this story every year, but it is one of my favorite books and a great delight. If Dickens’ language is difficult for you, I suggest watching the 1984 film version starring George C. Scott. It is a fantastic adaptation of the book and after viewing it, should make reading the story much easier to follow.

Baking Day. I usually set aside one day in December close to Christmas to bake goodies for special people I won’t be seeing over the holidays. Often this includes my friends at work, our landlady and our maintenance man…all special people who bless my life! It’s a great way to say thank you and Merry Christmas without spending money on something they don’t want or need. Everyone likes cookies and sweets!

Going to a Christmas Concert. This is something I started just this year. Rick and I spent one evening with family and friends at Portland’s Festival of Lights in Portland. It was a lovely evening filled with both the sights and sounds of the season! My mom and I also spent an evening down in Salem at Willamette University’s “Christmas in Hudson Hall,” which was absolutely fantastic! Not only did we listen to some beautiful music, we also sang along with the choirs during several carols.

Watching, “It’s A Wonderful Life.” This is the best movie EVER. I grew up watching it every year with my family and can’t imagine a Christmas season without seeing the life of humble, giving George Bailey light up my screen. This film tells the story of a simpler life in a simpler time, and gently stirs the heart of the viewer with the beauty of the spirit of Christmas. No matter how many times I’ve seen it (and I’ve probably seen it over 30 times), the fantastic humility of its message leaves me a little bit tearful and starry-eyed.

Finding a way to bless others. This can be done in a variety of ways, but one of my favorite activities on Christmas Eve is getting up extremely early and participating in my hometown’s “Christmas Cheer.” From about 6:00AM to 10:00AM, volunteers from the community gather at the local middle school and box up Christmas dinners for those in our little town that have fallen on hard times. It’s a wonderful way of giving back, and also provides a great way to see friends from “back home” during the holidays.

Midnight Service. Each year Rick and I are with my family on Christmas Eve, we attend my favorite Church service of the year: worship by candlelight. After celebrating with extended family all evening, we pile in the car for the 11:00PM service. We sing Christmas carols and listen to a wonderful message, and end with the passing of the flame from candle to candle until the entire sanctuary glows. Once midnight comes, we complete the service with a triumphant rendition of, “Joy to the World,” or, “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.” The magic of the season fills the air with the knowledge that we celebrate the birth of our King.

There are many other personal traditions that Rick and I enjoy each year, but these are a few of the “big ones” we look forward to during Advent. I hope they have been a joy and encouragement to you during this amazing holiday season, and I wish you all a very Merry Christmas!!

Read Full Post »